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Young Frankenstein (1974)
8.3
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Movie Watch
Respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) learns that he has inherited his...
Spoof
Grimm - Season 5
8.5
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TV Season
US supernatural drama following Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who...
The Bayeux Tapestry: New Interpretations
Martin K. Foys, Karen Eileen Overbey and Dan Terkla
Book
In the past two decades, scholarly assessment of the Bayeux Tapestry has moved beyond studies of its...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Young Frankenstein (1974) in Movies
Apr 20, 2020
My All Time Favorite Comedy
There are certain films that I can revisit time and time again and the effects of the film do not diminish for me and I would argue that they get better with age...and with repeated viewings.
Such is the case with Mel Brooks' Universal Horror film spoof/satire YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN from 1974. It is a work of comedic genius and features some of the most memorable characters in motion picture comedy history.
Co-Writen by Brooks and Gene Wilder, Directed by Brooks and starring Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman and the great Madeline Kahn, this film sends up the black and white Universal Horror films of the 1930's not by making fun of them, but by lovingly recreating them and then exaggerating the scenes/circumstances.
Wilder is at his manic best as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein - the grandson of the original Frankenstein - who is brought to Transylvania and soon takes up his grandfather's work. He works through a controlled rage throughout the film until such times where the rage (and his hair) comes bursting forth in maniacal energy that is a comic tour-de-force.
He is surrounded by an outstanding collection of misfits, most notably Marty Feldman's servant/assistant Igor who is game for just about anything. Under-rated is the comedic performance of Teri Garr as Frankenstein's lab assistant Inga who not only has good looks ("what knockers") but can hold her own with Wilder and Feldman in a scene. Peter Boyle is earnest and scary and vulnerable (all at the same time) in his portrayal of "the Monster" who just wants to be understood - the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene shows some fine comedic chops in an actor that up to this point had not really done comedy (his Emmy nominated work in EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND is years in the future).
But it is the work of 2 female comediennes that drives this film to another level. Madeline Kahn as Frederick's fiance, Elizabeth, commands (and steals) every scene she is in while the inscrutable Cloris Leachman is deadpan perfection as castle housekeeper Frau Bleucher (horse whinny).
Director Brooks keeps the jokes coming at a fast a furious pace, but keeps the pace and the story going as well. This is much more than "just a collection of jokes" - it is a very good movie.
This film falls squarely in my "Top 10 All Time Favorite Films" - and my #1 comedy of all time.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Such is the case with Mel Brooks' Universal Horror film spoof/satire YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN from 1974. It is a work of comedic genius and features some of the most memorable characters in motion picture comedy history.
Co-Writen by Brooks and Gene Wilder, Directed by Brooks and starring Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman and the great Madeline Kahn, this film sends up the black and white Universal Horror films of the 1930's not by making fun of them, but by lovingly recreating them and then exaggerating the scenes/circumstances.
Wilder is at his manic best as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein - the grandson of the original Frankenstein - who is brought to Transylvania and soon takes up his grandfather's work. He works through a controlled rage throughout the film until such times where the rage (and his hair) comes bursting forth in maniacal energy that is a comic tour-de-force.
He is surrounded by an outstanding collection of misfits, most notably Marty Feldman's servant/assistant Igor who is game for just about anything. Under-rated is the comedic performance of Teri Garr as Frankenstein's lab assistant Inga who not only has good looks ("what knockers") but can hold her own with Wilder and Feldman in a scene. Peter Boyle is earnest and scary and vulnerable (all at the same time) in his portrayal of "the Monster" who just wants to be understood - the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene shows some fine comedic chops in an actor that up to this point had not really done comedy (his Emmy nominated work in EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND is years in the future).
But it is the work of 2 female comediennes that drives this film to another level. Madeline Kahn as Frederick's fiance, Elizabeth, commands (and steals) every scene she is in while the inscrutable Cloris Leachman is deadpan perfection as castle housekeeper Frau Bleucher (horse whinny).
Director Brooks keeps the jokes coming at a fast a furious pace, but keeps the pace and the story going as well. This is much more than "just a collection of jokes" - it is a very good movie.
This film falls squarely in my "Top 10 All Time Favorite Films" - and my #1 comedy of all time.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
The Most Fun We Ever Had
10.0
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Book
"A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." --Madeline Miller A...
Jamie (131 KP) rated The Handmaid's Tale - Season 1 in TV
Jul 15, 2017
Phenomenal casting (4 more)
Changes to the plot add more to the characters and world of Gilead
Gorgeous technicolor visuals
Retains the dark tone of it's source material
Wonderful original soundtrack
June's character is changed in a way that goes against one of the original messages of the book (1 more)
Soundtrack sometimes included pop songs that were jarring and obnoxiously loud
Adds new depth to an already incredible story
I LOVE The Handmaid's Tale. Both the book and now the television show. The show is stunningly beautiful in terms of it's visuals and soundtrack. The casting was outstanding, it is everything I ever wanted from an adaptation of this marvelous book.
The story is changed in some pretty big ways in an attempt to modernize the story. The setting has been changed to what seems like the present day in a more integrated United States. The television show added extra plot lines, giving more attention to some of the side characters and giving us their points of view seamlessly, something that would have been difficult and confusing in a written format. I loved seeing more of the side characters and with it, seeing Gilead be fully fleshed out and more terrifying than I ever could have imagined. It was wonderful seeing the story expanded to include the infertility epidemic, the fall of the United States, the protests and gradual rise of the nation of Gilead.
I was hesitant at first when I saw images of a young Commander and Serena Joy but the casting couldn't be more on point. Yvonne Strahovski is a powerhouse that really embodies Serena Joy, making her both a sympathetic and terrifying character. Elizabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Alexis Bledel, and Madeline Brewer all deserve some serious praise for the way that they made all of their characters come alive.
An unfortunate casualty from the book were the changes to June's character, who went from being a disoriented every woman who did not recognize freedom when she had it and tragically lost everything. She wasn't ever meant to be the "hero," not like her mother or Moira who were outspoken feminists. This was an intentional set up in the book to be a cautionary tale of the importance of being vigilant and fighting to preserve one's autonomy. The June in the show on the other hand IS our hero, the fact that there is a season two means that we will have the resistance and the story will become more of your stereotypical dystopia where good will prevail and evil will always lose. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a pretty standard plot that gets recycled over and over.
What the story added where the book was extremely bleak was that tiny glimmer of hope. Hope that Gilead won't last and that the bonds of family and friendship can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Be prepared to cry and those with triggers will probably have difficulty digesting some of the content in the show. The story doesn't shy away from difficult topics and the brutality can be startling.
The story is changed in some pretty big ways in an attempt to modernize the story. The setting has been changed to what seems like the present day in a more integrated United States. The television show added extra plot lines, giving more attention to some of the side characters and giving us their points of view seamlessly, something that would have been difficult and confusing in a written format. I loved seeing more of the side characters and with it, seeing Gilead be fully fleshed out and more terrifying than I ever could have imagined. It was wonderful seeing the story expanded to include the infertility epidemic, the fall of the United States, the protests and gradual rise of the nation of Gilead.
I was hesitant at first when I saw images of a young Commander and Serena Joy but the casting couldn't be more on point. Yvonne Strahovski is a powerhouse that really embodies Serena Joy, making her both a sympathetic and terrifying character. Elizabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Alexis Bledel, and Madeline Brewer all deserve some serious praise for the way that they made all of their characters come alive.
An unfortunate casualty from the book were the changes to June's character, who went from being a disoriented every woman who did not recognize freedom when she had it and tragically lost everything. She wasn't ever meant to be the "hero," not like her mother or Moira who were outspoken feminists. This was an intentional set up in the book to be a cautionary tale of the importance of being vigilant and fighting to preserve one's autonomy. The June in the show on the other hand IS our hero, the fact that there is a season two means that we will have the resistance and the story will become more of your stereotypical dystopia where good will prevail and evil will always lose. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a pretty standard plot that gets recycled over and over.
What the story added where the book was extremely bleak was that tiny glimmer of hope. Hope that Gilead won't last and that the bonds of family and friendship can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Be prepared to cry and those with triggers will probably have difficulty digesting some of the content in the show. The story doesn't shy away from difficult topics and the brutality can be startling.